A coepoeatiolf of ijstoiaeta



Jan. 3, 1928.

A. E. LIEPOLD APPARATUS FOR FEEDING. GLAsS INTO MOLDS Filed March 23, 1925 z SheetS -Sheet 1 Jan. 3, 1928.

. v A. E. LIEPOLD APPARATUS FOR FEEDING 'GLASS INTO moms Filed March 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v u .n\ a W 3 3 M bu V 1 d on R mm W f w P W W v6 A Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES l.,ti55,ldii

iii-newer E. LI nro n or s r. LOUIS, Mrssounr, essrenon. nr MESTME assrennnturs, 'ro BALL BROTHERS company, on MIINGIE, rnnmnn, a oonronnl rrow or :mnrarm.

nrrnnn'rnsron rnnnrne amass nvro Morris.

Application mes March 23,1925. Serial No. 17,555.

My invention relates to improvements in the method and apparatus for feeding glass into molds and has for its primary object a method of feeding gobs of molten glass into molds, which gobs are of substantially uniform temperature throughout and which are uncontacted with and unchilled during their passage from the furnace to the mold.

A further object is the method of feeding gobs of moltenglass to the mold of the forming machine in which the severed end of the glass is drawn up and reheated thereby eliminating chill marks in the finished article.

A further object isto construct an apparatus for feeding molten glass into molds which is so arranged that the gobs of glass are delivered to the mold at substantially furnace temperature and in which the sev- 2. ered end of the mass is drawn upward and reheated by the mass of glass so that all chill marks are eliminated in the finished article.

In the drawings X Fig. lis aside elevation of my device; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation; Fig. i is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line of Fig. 2; and

5 is a top plan view of one formed of severed means.

In the construction of my device, I employ a furnace 5. which is provided with the usual refining chamber 6. The chamber 6 is provided with an outlet spout 7 through which the molten glass flows into a boot or receptacle 8. Extending into the spout 7 is a gate 9, which can be raised or lowered by meansotf a screw or similar adjusting means 10. The purpose of this gate is to regulate the flow of molten glass from the refining chamber to the boot or receptacle. The lower end of the boot or receptacle is surrounded bya casing 11 which is provided with sleeves 12. Through these sleeves extend rods 13. The rods 13 have their lower 9 ends secured in bosses 14L, which are formed integral with a base 15. The upper ends of the rods 13 project through a plate 16, which plate is secured in position by means of nuts 17, which are secured on the upper ends of the rods 13. The sleeves 12 fit suiliciently loose on the rods 13 to permit the casing 11 to be moved up and down as willbe hereinafter explained. The boot or receptacle 8 is provided with openings 18 through which provided with cam grooves 35.

heating jets may be introduced so as to prevent any chilling of the glass within the boot or receptacle. Extending into the boot or receptacle is a plug 19, the upper end of which is secured in a socket 20. Projecting from this socket is a stud 21, which in turn is secured in a yoke 22 carried by the adjusting screw The adjusting screw extends through the plate which is provided with a handwheel 24lby means of which the plug is to be regulated up and down. The stud 21 is surrounded by a coil spring 25 which perinits a certain amount oi resiliency and which will prevent the plug 19 from contacting violently with the bottom of the boot or receptacle, or rather with the bushing 26, which is'placed in the opening 2'? formed in the bottom of the boot or receptacle. The bushing 26 is provided with an outlet opening29. This outlet opening may be of various sizes so as to permit more or less molten glass to flow therethrough, this dependin of course, on the size of the gob to be gathcred; i

Carried by the base 15 is a bracket 30, which is provided with bearings 31. In these bearings ismounte'd a shaft 32 Mounted on the shatlit 32 are wheels 33 and 341- which are In these grooves the rollers 36 carried by the casing 11 are adapted to ride and during the revolutions of the wheels 33 the boot or receptacle 8 will be raised and lowered. The wheel 33 isalso provided on itsouter side with a projection 37, which is designed to come in contact with the end 38 of rods The rods 39 pivotally secured to;one end of the levers 40. The opposite end of these levers are in turn secured to the ends 4:1 of the shears or cutting. mechanism 42, which is pivotally carried by the bracket 43 secured to thecasing 11. The rods 39 is carried by an arm 4-3. which is provided with a boss through which the rods slidably extends. The shears 42 are normally held in open position by means of a coil spring 45, which is stretched when the shears are closed as in Figs. 2 and 5, and which on contracting opens the shears. Securedito the casing 11 are cables 46, which pass over sheave wheels 4.7 carried by the plate 16. The cables do also pass over sheave wheels 48, which are carried by brackets 49. These brackets in turn are secured to the buck staves 50. After the cables have been passed over the sheave ii U Wheels 18 they have secured thereto counter Weights 51', which are approximately the same weight as the combined weight of the boot and the molten glass, and which will relieve the strain on the raising and lowering mechanism.

Secured to the shaft :32 is a gear wheel 52, which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 53. This gear wheel is carried on a shaft whichv is mounted in the bearing 5 L carried by the base 15. Secured to the shaft carryingigear wheel 53:.is a universal coupling 55 to which is attached a telescoping shaft 56, which shaftjis in turn connected to the driving mechanism of the mold table (not shown in the drawings) and is for the purpose of placing the mechanism in operation. Mounted on'a shaft 52 -isa sprocket wheel 57 around which a chain 58 issecured. This chain also passes around the sprocket wheel 59, whichis carried by the shaft 32 for plac ing. the wheels 33. and 3 l in rotation thus operating the'boot-or receptacle up and down.

The operationofmydevce is asfollows:

The moltenvglass entersthe refining chamber of the furnace in the usual manner. The gate 9 is'closed down-and the receptacle 8 elevated to its highest position. The plug 19 is screwed down so that it contacts with the bushing26 closing the discharge orifice 29. The gate 9 is then'raised permitting moltenglass to flowinto the [receptacle 8, the mold table brought into position and the device is ready to commence operation.

The handwheel2 is then turned so as to raise thebottom end of ithe plug 19 slightly above the bottom of thereceptacle 8. This is'done to prevent any possibility of the plug 19' pushing the bushing out of the opening 27 but still the space between the bottom of the receptacle and the'bottom of the plug 19 is so slight as to permit practically no molten glass to pass through the outlet orifice 29. The driving mechanism of the mold table is then started, which driving mechanism in turn places the wheels 33' and 34in operation. As these wheels commence 'to operate, the lever 39 is released from the cam projection 37, which allows the cutting mechanism 42 to open. Gontmuedrotation of the driving mechanism and wheels 33 and 34 lowers the receptacle increasing the distance between the bottom of the plug 19 and the bushing 26 and permitting 'molten -.glass to flow through the outlet orifice 29 This distance continues and into the mold. to increase during a certain portion of the revolution of the wheels 33 and34 until the maximum distance is reached which is regulated by the cam groove 35. The receptacle-8 then commences to ascend causing the bottom of the plug 19 and of the receptacle 8 to approach each other. This movecomes attenuated.

the bottom of the plug 19 approaches the bottom of the receptacle 8, the stream of molten glass issuing from the orifice 29 be- At this point the mold table is ready to shift and the cum surface 37 contacts with the lever 39 closing the shearing mechanism 42.

The receptacle 8 remains in this position for a short time only and connncnces to descend. At this point the shearing mechani m 4-2 opens and during the first portion of the descent of the receptacle 8 a. suction is set up, which draws the sevcrcd end of the stream above the shearing mechanism haclt into the receptacle causing it to become reheated and'absorbed by the molten glass within the receptacle. its the receptacle 8 continues to descend this suction is broken once more issues from the orifice. u ing this rcplzucment--of the severed end of the stream within the body of molten glass the molds have been shifted and a fresh mold is beneath the outlet orifice 29 and in position to receive its charge. It will be understood. of course, that the gate 9 is so regulated as to permit the molten class from the refining chamber to enter the receptacle only suihciently fast as to keep a constant glass level within the receptacle. This iiscssential because if the glass flows in too fast. it will accumulate therein and overflow the receptacle and if it flows vtoo slow the receptacle will in a short time be drained.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l: formed gobs of gl ready for deliverv to the mold of the forming machine liv bddilv moving a mass of molten glass. I

Having fully described my invention. what I claim is: I

1. An apparatus for feeding gobs of moltcncglass into molds comprisinga receptacle having an outlet orifice, means for opening and closing said outlet, means for continuously supplying molten glass to said rcccp- 'taclc. means tor imparting a vertical move mcnt'to said receptacle. and severing moans operated by the receptacle moving means, said severing means being carried by the receptacle and located adjacent said outlet orifice.

:2. An apparatus for feeding gobs of molten .glass into molds comprising a receptacle having an outlet orifice, adjustable means for opening and closing said outlet,

means for imparting a. vertical niovcn'icnt to said receptacle to and from said closingmeans, severing means carried by said receptacle and located below said outlet, and

means for continuously feeding a regulated r trean'i of molten glass to said receptacle.

3. An apparatus 'tor feeding gobs of molzlcn glass into molds comprising a rcccptaclc having an outlet orifice. adjustable means extending into said receptacle for lit] ill)

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opening and closing said outlet, means for imparting a vertical movement to said receptacle whereby said outlet is opened andsaid means whereby the outlet is alternate ly opened and closed, guides for directing the direction of movement of said receptacle, means for supplying a continuous regulated stream of glass to said receptacle for maintaining the quantity of glass therein constant, and severing means carried by said receptacle and located adjacent said outlet orifice.

V 5. An apparatus for feeding molten glass into molds comprising a receptacle mounted on guides and provided with an outlet orifice, means for imparting a vertical movement to said receptacle, a counter balance for said receptacle, means extending into said receptacle and adjustably mounted for opening and closing said outlet when said receptacle is raised and lowered, means for continuously feeding a stream of molten glass into said receptacle, means for regulating the volume of said stream of glass so that the quantity of glass in the receptacle remains constant, severing means carried by said receptacle and located adjacent the outlet, and means cooperating with said receptacle moving means for periodically operating said severing means.

6. In an apparatus for feeding gobs of molten glass into molds, a receptacle open at one end, said open end located adjacent the wall of a glass furnace, a discharge opening formed in the bottom of said receptacle, means for supplying a continuous stream of molten glass to said receptacle, means for regulating the rate of flow of said stream, means for imparting vertical reciprocation to said receptacle, a stationary plunger having a blunt end extending into said receptacle and located directly above the discharge opening whereby on the reciprocation of the receptacle the flow of molten glass through said discharge orifice is increased and re duced above and below the normal rate of flow, and severing means carried by said receptacle, said severing means adapted to be operated by the reciprocating means.

7. In an apparatus for feeding molten glass into molds comprising a receptacle open at its rear end and provided in its bottom with a discharge orifice, the open end of said receptacle located adjacent the wall of a glass furnace, means for supplying a regulated continuous stream of molten glass to said receptacle from said furnace, means for imparting a bodily vertical reciprocation to said receptacle, an adjustable stationary plunger having a blunt end eX- tending into said receptacle and located directly above the discharge opening whereby on the lGCiPlOCflillOll of the receptacle the flow of molten glass into said orifice will be increased and reduced, and a severing means carried by said receptacle and adapted to be operated by the reciprocating means when the flow of glass has been 'i'educed.

8. In an apparatus for feeding gobs of molten glass into molds, a glass furnace having a discharge outlet in one wall there of, a receptacle having a discharge outlet in its bottom mounted outside of said furnace and in front of said opening, means for feeding molten glass through said opening into said receptacle in a continuous regulated stream, guides for supporting said receptacle against horizontal or tipping moven'ient, means for imparting a bodily vertical up and down movement to said receptacle, an adjustable plunger extending into said receptacle directly above said discharge opening whereby the flow of glass is increased and retarded by the movement of said receptacle, and a severing means carried by said receptacle and adapted to be operated by the reciprocating means of the receptacle when the flow of glass has been reduced.

9. in an apparatus for feeding molten glass into molds, a glass furnace having a discharge outlet in one wall thereof, a re ceptacle having a discharge outlet in its bottom and open at one end only mounted outside said furnace, said open end located directly in frontof the opening through the furnace wall, means for supplying molten glass in a regulated continuous stream into said receptacle from said furnace, guides for supporting said receptacle adjacent said wall and holding the same against horizontal or tipping movement, means for imparting a vertical up and down movement to said receptacle, an adjustable stationary plunger extending into said receptacle directly above said discharge opening whereby the flow of glass is increased and retarded by the movement of said receptacle, means for yieldingly supporting .said plunger whereby breakage of the plunger and receptacle is eliminated in the event the two should contact, severing means carried by said receptacle and extending below the discharge opening, and means co-operating with the raising and lowering means for operating said severing means when said receptacle reaches its uppermost position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

AUGUST E. LIEPOLD. 

